Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 2001-02

CORPORATE SERVICES, OPERATIONS & RESOURCES ETHICS ACT The Minister approved the Gallery's new Code of Conduct, and printed copies of the Code were provided to all staff with an electronic copy also available to staff on the Gallery's Intranet. Persons other than staff members are able to inspect the Code, free of charge, upon request at the Gallery·s Research Library, with extracts or a full copy available free of charge. Education and training sessions were conducted for staff in the operations of the Ethics Act, the application of ethics principles and the obligations of officials in relation to contravention of the Code. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Strategies to achieve the objectives contained in the Gallery's Equal Employment Opportunity [EEO] Management Plan 2001-03 continued to be implemented and monitored against target dates during the year. Key strategies included: implementation of career planning sessions; implementation of on line anti-discrimination training and certification for all supervisors and managers; implementation of five Indigenous art traineeships; and advertising vacancies according to agreed target group network sources and development of a supervisor/manager role statement to be attached to position descriptions outlining in full, responsibilities relevant to EEO, diversity and anti-discrimination. An equity/anti– discrimination case study was included in the Code of Conduct training for all staff. AUDIT COMMITTEE The Board of Trustees· Audit Committee met on one occasion. An internal audit of the Gallery Store·s e-commerce site was undertaken against the Queensland Audit Office guidelines 'Better Practice Guide for E-Business Environment'. WHISTLEBLOWERS PROTECTION ACT There were no disclosures received over the reporting period. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The Gallery's Information Strategic Directions Document was reviewed during the year. It includes a major focus for the development and planning of the operational needs for the Gallery to expand its services to a two-site operation 36 with the opening of the Gallery of Modern Art in 2005. The following five information technology projects were identified as strategically essential to the Gallery's operations: 1. upgrade the Collection Management System 2. digitise the Collection and implement a mass storage solution 3. develop and expand the network infrastructure 4. review and upgrade office applications and databases 5. review and expand web, multimedia and e– commerce operations. These projects will be progressively implemented during the transitional years leading to opening of the Gallery of Modern Art. A risk analysis on the Gallery's information security was completed and a compliance table produced as required by Information Standard no.18. It is intended that the Gallery will be fully compliant with the principles contained in the standard by December 2002. COMMERCIAL SERVICES The Board undertook the following commercial and fundraising activities during the year: merchandising through the Gallery Store and special exhibition shops seeking sponsorship wherever appropriate fundraising through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation hiring of Gallery spaces leasing of the Gallery coffee shop. During the year the Gallery Store produced a merchandise range for the exhibition William Robinson: A Retrospective· which was also sold at the Museum of Contemporary Art and National Gallery of Australia. Exhibition merchandise and tickets were sold online for the exhibition ·Belle-lle: Monet, Russell & Matisse in Brittany·. Approximately 250 visits to schools, libraries and TAFE Colleges in Queensland and northern New South Wales were made by the Gallery Store Wholesale Coordinator. From these visits, art teachers and libraries ordered art books and exhibition catalogues with sales reaching a record level. The Gallery Store held various events for customers such as a book launch for a new Thames & Hudson title Sidney Nolan; a preview performance of 'Art', a new Queensland Performing Arts Company play; as well as events in conjunction with the Brisbane Writers· Festival. A Commercial Services Working Group was established to coordinate commercial activities in the new Gallery of Modern Art. Tenders for operation of the Gallery·s coffee shop were finalised during the year with the new operators, Bar Merlo, commencing operations as from 1 August 2001. FINANCIAL SERVICES The Financial Services Unit is responsible for the management of the Gallery's overall accounting function, monitoring of the Gallery's budget, and development of systems and procedures for financial operations necessary to support the Gallery's initiatives in the areas of exhibitions and commercial activities. The Unit provides advice on financial issues to the Board of Trustees, the Director, the Executive Management Team and other Gallery staff. The Unit produces monthly financial reports for the Board of Trustees and internal management. The Unit provided support to the exhibitions 'Belle-lle: Monet, Russell & Matisse in Brittany' and 'Love and Death: Art in the Age of Queen Victoria· through the management of ticket sales and budgetary controls. Except for the funds generated from entry-fee exhibitions, the Gallery is mainly reliant upon funding appropriated by Parliament. As has been the practice for some years now, Government funding is not used to source and conduct exhibitions for which an entry fee is levied. Any surpluses derived from such entry-fee exhibitions are used to supplement Government funding and are applied to a range of projects and activities. Income derived from the merchandising activities of the Gallery Store and from the hiring of Gallery spaces for functions also assists with interpretive programs and research and information services.